The color blue

[Bala Perdida]

All this talk of red front, green movement, black brigade and what not. I was wondering if the color blue was at all symbolic of much in political terms. The reactionaries are always cursing reds, and greens. Does anyone refer to their political enemies as 'blues' or something.

[BIXX]

The only blue political faction I know of was in Russia if I remember correctly.

[The Intransigent Faction]

All this talk of red front, green movement, black brigade and what not. I was wondering if the color blue was at all symbolic of much in political terms. The reactionaries are always cursing reds, and greens. Does anyone refer to their political enemies as 'blues' or something.

Well, have you ever heard the term "blue-blooded" used to describe royalty or nobility? I am not familiar with the origins of this, but given that and its common association with Conservative parties, it seems symbolic of something reactionary.

I am curious, though, about why the Democrat colour is blue and the Republican colour is red.

[Sabot Cat]

Well, have you ever heard the term "blue-blooded" used to describe royalty or nobility? I am not familiar with the origins of this, but given that and its common association with Conservative parties, it seems symbolic of something reactionary.

I am curious, though, about why the Democrat colour is blue and the Republican colour is red.

The Presidential election of 2000. In USA Today and The New York Times, red was used for the Republicans [because they both start with 'r'] and blue for the Democrats. As the results were scrutinized thereafter during the electoral controversy, the colors kind of burned into the American consciousness, despite being the inverse of the traditional political color symbolism in the rest of the world.

Read more here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-republicans-were-blue-and-democrats-were-red-104176297/?all

[Bala Perdida]

The only blue political faction I know of was in Russia if I remember correctly.
No offense, I hit the thank button first. Lol. But was this a tsarist thing?

[The Feral Underclass]

In the UK blue is the colour of the Conservative Party.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

Blue is generally the colour of conservatives, some liberals, "centrists" in the bourgeois sense, Europhiles and so on. The latter in particular like to hang blue banners on everything.

The Antonovtsy were called the Blue Army because, hell, they had to be called something, and Red, White, Black and Green were already occupied, Yellow had some unfortunate racial connotations and the Brown Army sounds like a horrible disease.

[Red Son]

As per Feral Underclass' point, in the UK it is used by the Tories and I think most would identify it with rightists and conservative groups.

[Hrafn]

In Sweden, blue is deeply associated with the right-wing. Out of five right of centre parties in parliament, four use the colour in one way or another, and to "vote blue" is to vote right-wing.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Blue is generally the colour of conservatives, some liberals, "centrists" in the bourgeois sense, Europhiles and so on. The latter in particular like to hang blue banners on everything.

The Antonovtsy were called the Blue Army because, hell, they had to be called something, and Red, White, Black and Green were already occupied, Yellow had some unfortunate racial connotations and the Brown Army sounds like a horrible disease.

I think yellow symbolizes classic liberalism, although not in the same way Red was embraced by Socialists and Black by Anarchists. Of course, all of this is highly arbitrary and historically contingent anyways. I could imagine some future Communist movement in America picking purple because they don't want the association with the Republicans, or something silly like that.

[The Idler]

Blue is centre right, purple is paleoconservative as in UKIP. Black and brown are far right.

[Bala Perdida]

So the color seems to have gained alot more traction in Europe. I guess I've seen it, definitely, but I've never heard it referred to here.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

I think yellow symbolizes classic liberalism, although not in the same way Red was embraced by Socialists and Black by Anarchists. Of course, all of this is highly arbitrary and historically contingent anyways. I could imagine some future Communist movement in America picking purple because they don't want the association with the Republicans, or something silly like that.

Yellow is used by liberals about as often as blue in my experience. Of course the line between liberals and conservatives is not as sharp as some people like to imagine.

I don't think anyone in America thinks the Red Scare targeted Republicans. Red is one of those colours that will stick.

[PhoenixAsh]

Blue is the colour of liberals (the European kind)

[Sasha]

I think the conservative use of blue goes back a long time actuale, didn't the royalists in France not use blue?

[Igor]

I think the conservative use of blue goes back a long time actuale, didn't the royalists in France not use blue?tories in the uk have also used blue basically as long as theres been tories afaik

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

I think the conservative use of blue goes back a long time actuale, didn't the royalists in France not use blue?

White, actually, white being the colour of the monarchy, and blue and red being the colours of Paris.

The UK Whigs also used light blue and buff if I recall correctly, with the Tories being partial to dark blue.

[Sasha]

Laisefare conservatives here (the VVD) uses blue with orange here for obvious reasons, think the hardline protestants do too.

[PhoenixAsh]

Look it has a wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_colour

[Illegalitarian]

Blue is generally the color of conservatism and the right

The blue coalition is the name of the parliamentary group that consists of the KMT and their allies in Taiwan, as well.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Yellow is used by liberals about as often as blue in my experience.


Well liberals are all about "freedom" to "choose" which color they like without regard to the historical context or situation, right?

I know the lib dems go with yellow, and as far as I know it's the color of their international. Wiki has a little yellow flag symbolizing "liberalism" for whatever that's worth.


Of course the line between liberals and conservatives is not as sharp as some people like to imagine.Yes modern conservatives are just rightwing liberals, but despite that ...



I don't think anyone in America thinks the Red Scare targeted Republicans. Red is one of those colours that will stick.Yes, well, I was just making a point. For some reason, Nicaraguan Leftists liked purple (granted, the Sandanistas as a party were not particularly committed to the program of a Proletarian revolution, but I don't think that was because of their color choice).

[RedWorker]

We should take the blue colour from these conservatives; it's a nice colour. In fact, we should take yellow, green, orange, pink, and others. Though red is still nicer.

[TrotskyMyHero]

French conservative right is blue

[PhoenixAsh]

Blue was said to represent the bourgeois in the French flag. White was supposed to indicate the nation represented in the King.